Written by: Vince Dioquino
Compiled by: Centreless
According to an organization focused on promoting blockchain technology in the gaming sector, blockchain games are entering a new stage of maturity, allowing more players to access games more seamlessly. However, with the entry of traditional game developers, the blockchain gaming industry is experiencing changes that could trigger significant disruption.
This trend of change aligns with the pace at which major game studios like Sony and Square Enix are entering the field through blockchain layer 2 solutions. According to an industry survey report released by the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA) this week, public perception remains one of the key barriers.
The report shows that 66% of projects are still trying to establish credibility, working to dispel public misconceptions linking blockchain games to scams. Nevertheless, the difficulty for players to access blockchain games has decreased, with the entry resistance rate dropping from 79.5% last year to 53.9% in 2024. This improvement is mainly attributed to a better user experience, making it easier for players to engage with blockchain games.
"The core of this growth is the principle of player empowerment," wrote Sebastian Borget, president of BGA, in the report. He pointed out that players' interest in blockchain games primarily stems from the concept of ownership. The report shows that over 71% of respondents believe this is the 'greatest benefit' offered by blockchain games.
The report also pointed out that since the last market cycle, the industry has placed a greater emphasis on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), prioritizing the provision of a fluid experience comparable to traditional Web2 games. BGA predicts that this trend will continue to expand in 2025, shifting focus from financial mechanisms to enhancing player experiences. Blockchain games are gradually concealing crypto elements. Blockchain gaming platforms are moving from explicit crypto elements (like token economies and NFT marketplaces) to more seamless integrations, allowing Web3 functionalities to run in the background.
"Play-to-Earn" model enters a new stage
With the arrival of 2025, blockchain games are ushering in a new chapter. BGA shared their predictions in a media interview. Traditional centralized game servers are transitioning to blockchain infrastructure, showcasing how the gaming industry embraces the concept of digital ownership.
In contrast to traditional games that rely on regional server networks for stability and data management, blockchain integration achieves true digital ownership through on-chain asset tracking and trading.
Additionally, the 'Play-to-Earn' model that emerged in 2020 has undergone significant transformation, placing more emphasis on the practical application of on-chain characteristics. Well-known figure in the Web3 community Andrew Campbell (online name Zyori) mentioned in the report that this shift has given rise to new models driven by player abilities and activities.
"The original 'Play-to-Earn' model had two fatal flaws: reward inflation spiraled out of control, expanding with the increase of users; and there was a lack of sufficient token recovery mechanisms to create deflationary pressure," Campbell wrote.
Fully On-Chain Games and Autonomous Worlds
The report also introduced two new terms: "Autonomous Worlds (AW)" and "Fully On-Chain Games (FOCG)." These terms describe gaming experiences that are entirely based on blockchain and exist natively on-chain, including game rules, player items, and game economics, rather than merely placing some content on-chain while the main client still runs on traditional centralized servers.
Gillian Pua, chief staff of Sovrun (formerly BreederDAO), stated that autonomous worlds allow games to "continuously improve based on community input" by placing game state and logic parts on-chain. She added that this feature will also influence how future fully on-chain games operate as artificial intelligence integrates with blockchain infrastructure.
"By leveraging on-chain transparency, autonomous worlds provide an ideal foundation for AI entities to thrive, generating intelligent and adaptive gaming experiences based on real-time player behavior," Pua stated.